sodeynly

Middle English

Alternative forms

• sudeinliche, sodeinliche, sodainliche, sodenly, sodeinly, sodaynely, soudaynely, sudeynly, soubdeynly, sotheynly, sodaynlyche, sodanli

Etymology

From sodeyn +‎ -ly.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /suˈdæi̯nliː/, /ˈsudinliː/, /suˈdæi̯nlit͡ʃ(ə)/

Adverb

sodeynly

1. Suddenly, non-gradually; without buildup or warning, in an abrupt way.
   • a. 1394, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Knight's Tale”, in The Canterbury Tales‎, lines 1575–1576:

     He felte a coold swerd sodeynliche glyde / For ire he quook; no lenger wolde he byde

     He sensed a cold sword suddenly move / He quaked due to rage; he wouldn't keep still any longer

2. Unanticipatedly; without warning or prior notice.
3. With immediate or quick effect; instantaneously or with great haste.
4. Impulsively; in a poorly-thought or ill-conceived way.
5. (rare) At the present moment.

Descendants

• English: suddenly
• Scots: suddenly, suddently (modified to match the Middle Scots past participle -and, -ant)

References

• “sodeinlī, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 20 October 2018.